Paddling up Romance Creek
by Daisy Bokoblin
Summary: ...Without a paddle. Heck, they probably wanted at least two of them before beginning their journey up "Romance Creek", but having none? Nothing can ever be easy for the Smashers, can it? Especially matters of the heart. (Rating subject to change to T if I deem it necessary.)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** **Ummmm... I have no explanation for certain things. Like how I vanished from fanfiction for half a year (has it really been that long?). I really wasn't trying to - heck, I wasn't even just thinking "I'll just take a small break." It came out of nowhere, honestly. One of the reasons for this being that I haven't been really motivated to write lately. I dunno. This lack of interest was mostly due to the fact I couldn't seem to finish writing anything I started because I didn't like any of it. It's been tough lately, to even just come on fanfiction and read/review things. I'm trying to get back into my groove, however ( _"DAW! You threw off my groove!"_ If you get this reference, you're my favorite person ever XD), and to start off, I decided I'd write a pointless romance/drama/friendship story. You know, like the ones that overran the site back during Melee? Seriously, it seems any old fic I find in this category is a romance drama featuring three pairings - Link/Zelda, Roy/Peach, and Marth/Samus. Not to say I don't like those stories, or those pairings (they're actually three of my favorite pairings, with Marth/Samus being the absolute best ^_^), just that I noticed that.**

 **Anyways, I really should stop procrastinating. Please keep in mind, if this writing isn't my best, I'm trying to get back into my writing groove ("I'm sorry, but you've thrown off the Emperor's groove.") and this how I'm attempting to do that. This is really just something I'm doing for fun, with only a vague idea of where the story is going. Also keep in mind, updates will be weird. I'll try to be consistent as possible, but you know that thing called "real life"? It takes up a decent portion of my time.**

 **RANDOM HEADS UP: There will be pairings. Many pairings. This story solely exists for me to play with some of my favorite pairings. I don't plan on spoiling the pairings I plan to include, just know that you don't have to read if you don't like the ones I include. And if you have an account, and would really like to know what pairings I have in mind, just leave a review asking to know and I'll try to shoot you a quick PM. And another note, though this first chapter focuses on just one character, the following chapters will focus on others. Believe me, I have plenty of characters in mind for this story!**

 **Without further procrastination, here it is - chapter 1!**

* * *

Thoughts echoed in her mind, words, sentences, things that happened in the day. She wished there was an on/off switch for her mind, if only so she could get some sleep. Unfortunately, it seemed that switch had yet to be invented, and she was left up the proverbial creek without a proverbial paddle.

She rolled onto her side, ears picking up on the gentle snores of her roommate. Daisy always seemed to be able to instantly fall sound asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, despite what may or may not have happened during the daytime. Peach envied her that ability, since the blonde was having a particularly difficult time sleeping at the moment. And all because she did _that_ …

* * *

 _Earlier in the day..._

 _The fight was intense. So much so, in fact, that Peach could barely watch, but also found her eyes refused to tear themselves away. Screams surrounded her, all other Smashers supporting their friends. Peach knew she had a favorite fighter on the stage currently, but to admit that would be admitting she was playing favorites with her friends, which was not exactly admirable._

 _Still, thinking his name over and over in support wouldn't give her away._

'Link, Link, Link,' _She thought his name repeatedly, watching as the Hylian in question shot an arrow at one of his two opponents. Captain Falcon dodged the projectile easily, smirking at Link while charging at him. Meanwhile, Link's teammate, a certain overall clad plumber, pulled his cape out to flip Marth around and avoid a particularly devastating sword swing._

" _Isn't this exciting?" Daisy squawked, popping a piece of popcorn in her mouth. "Seriously, this is one of the good ones!"_

" _It is," Peach said quietly, watching Link get kicked around by Falcon._

 _Daisy bumped the other princess's shoulder with her own, munching another popcorn piece. "Who do you think's gonna win? Or better yet, who do you_ want _to win? I personally think Link and Mario are coming out on top, though I'd prefer if Marth and the Captain did."_

" _Of course you would," Peach's lips quirked up into a small smile, "since Loverboy's on that side."_

 _She didn't even need to look to know Daisy's cheeks were heating up._

" _His name's Marth, thank you very much," Daisy said, "not 'loverboy'. Though, actually, that's not bad. Maybe a new nickname?"_

 _Peach laughed aloud, and finally turned to face her friend. "You give him the weirdest names, you know that?"_

 _The orange-clad princess just grinned and shrugged, before turning back to watch the fight. Peach did likewise, just in time to see Link score a K.O. on Marth._

" _Dang it," Daisy muttered, watching as the prince flew off the stage. The clock was quickly ticking down, just over a minute left, and Peach didn't dare look away. "Hey, wait," Daisy muttered, "you never told me who_ you _want to win. Though, I do have a guess."_

 _Peach felt the color drain from her face. If her best friend had figured out she was rooting for Link, and_ why _she was, she'd never hear the end of it._

" _I bet you want Mario and Link to win-" the breath flew out of Peach's lungs like someone punched her- "because Mario's on that team."_

" _Huh?" Peach couldn't help the tiny noise of disbelief she made at her best friend's reasoning. Daisy laughed, popping another piece of popcorn in her mouth to eat before continuing._

" _Seriously, you're horrible at hiding your feelings," Daisy said. "I think everyone knows by this point you have a thing for him. I mean, cake and a kiss on the nose? You obviously like the guy, and are holding yourself back from things like, say, kisses on the lips and pet names, because you don't know if he likes you back."_

 _Peach's brain hurt. Physically ached. She barely could wrap her head around what just came out of Daisy's mouth._

 _Before she could protest, or even snap out of her stupor, the announcer's voice echoed around them all._

" _GAME!"_

 _Peach watched as one of the teams was declared the winner, with the other one clapping in the background. Captain Falcon did one of his trademark poses, Marth standing right behind him, beaming. But the princess could only watch Link, clapping for the other team and looking slightly disappointed._

" _Don't worry," she whispered under her breath so as not to be heard (not that Daisy was listening anyways, instead cheering for her "Loverboy" at the top of her lungs), "you did good."_

* * *

Maybe she'd sleep better if she found a nice rock to hide under. Yes, a large, concealing rock that could keep her secret all the night long, and perhaps even longer than that - say, a decade. Of course, Peach knew she was overreacting. Honestly, it wasn't like what she did was completely mortifying or something.

She rolled over again, eyes now travelling over the ceiling. Sleep just was not coming for her, and the longer she stayed in bed, awake, the more antsy she got. The more antsy she got, the more her mind went over the day's events. The more her mind went over the day's events, the more embarrassed she got. The more embarrassed she got, the harder it was to sleep. It was a horrifying chain of events that kept her awake into the wee hours of the morning, but she couldn't seem to end them.

* * *

" _Congratulations!" Daisy practically forced herself into Marth's arms with the way she lunged at him, barely giving the prince time to react. But he still smiled, swinging her around in the air a few times before planting a quick kiss on her lips._

 _Peach watched the scene, a few yards away, and felt a strong pang of jealousy. There her best friend was, currently in a happy relationship, and she was left all on her lonesome. It wasn't a good feeling, and it made the blonde a bit sick to her stomach, even though she tried to dispose of it. She should be happy for Daisy and Marth, not envious. But that got more and more difficult for her to accomplish with each passing day._

 _The room they stood in was small, but not many people currently occupied it. It was the room Smashers were teleported to after a match, a place where they could recuperate for a few minutes and offer proper congratulations to their opponents. Peach wouldn't be there at the moment, but Daisy convinced her to join her while she went and attacked her boyfriend with a kiss and a new pet name._

 _Peach felt a presence to her right, and she turned. Mario stood by her side, and she hated to admit it, but she felt a small sense of disappointment. She wished the plumber was someone else, no matter how many times she told herself that the one she longed for would never like her in that way._

" _Hello, Mario," Peach smiled at the hero, and he smiled back._

" _Hello, Princess!" The plumber grinned, still looking a bit winded from the match he'd participated in not five minutes previously. "Were you watching the fight?"_

 _Peach laughed goodnaturedly, "Everyone was! It was probably the best one this season. You all did fantastically."_

" _Thank you," Mario blushed slightly, rubbing the back of his head and pushing his trademark red cap askew, "I'm sure there'll be plenty more that are just as good - or even better - as the matches become more frequent."_

" _True," the princess smiled, "but this'll always be remembered as the first." She glanced up, a different voice than Mario's catching her ear. Of course, the speaker wasn't addressing her, but anytime she got to hear his voice was marvelous._

 _Link shook Captain Falcon's hand vigorously, a smile gracing his perfect lips (Peach had noticed their perfection a long time ago, and the perfection of Link's other features - hair, eyes, even ears). "Good game, Captain," the Hylian hero said, and Peach felt her heartbeat quicken at just the sound of his voice._

 _Captain Falcon smirked, shaking Link's hand before pulling away and giving the other man a punch in the arm. "You too, elf boy. Maybe a rematch sometime, just me and you?"_

 _Link mirrored the captain, smirk and punch and all. "You bet - I've been waiting to kick your sorry butt since the last tournament."_

 _Peach could've just kept listening in on the two (a task made convenient by the fact they were only a few yards away), but she was pulled from her spying by Mario repeatedly saying her name._

" _Princess? Princess Peach? Are you okay?"_

 _The blonde snapped out of her stupor, looking at Mario who looked more than a bit concerned._

" _Oh, I'm sorry, Mario," Peach finally responded, "I was just- thinking about something."_ 'More like some _one_ ,' _she thought miserably, but pushed the thought aside._

 _Mario smiled, "It's alright, Princess. I was just-"_

" _Mario!" The voice came from seemingly out of nowhere, but was easily recognizable to Peach._

" _Hey, brother!" Mario grinned, and he and Luigi shared a quick hug._

 _Peach wondered if this was her moment to slip away, to perhaps approach Link like she'd been wanting to for so long, but then Luigi's words pulled her back to reality._

" _Everyone's waiting to see you all out there," Luigi grinned, pointing behind him to the door. "They'd come in, but we all know this room's too small for 50 people!"_

 _Laughter filled the room, and Peach smiled to herself. Ever since Luigi's first tournament, he was coming more and more out of his shy shell. She felt like everyday she met a side to the green-clad plumber she'd never seen before._

" _I guess we'd better get out there, then," Marth smiled, Daisy holding his hand, and the small group walked out of the room._

* * *

Peach slowly pulled the covers back, legs sliding off the bed. Her feet slipped into a pair of hot pink fuzzy slippers, and she stood. She wondered if perhaps a walk would do her overactive mind some good.

The princess walked to a chair that was sitting in front of a desk, careful to be quiet so as to avoid waking her roommate. On the back of the chair was a loose-fitting silk bathrobe, and she slid it onto her thin frame. Still keeping quiet, she walked to the door and cracked it open slowly, closing it behind her swiftly.

The halls of the mansion were, unsurprisingly, dead silent. It was almost two in the morning, after all. Peach slowly tiptoed down the corridor, unsure of her destination. Her shadow followed behind her almost eerily, moonlight spilling in from tall windows that showcased a huge field just outside the mansion walls.

Peach's mind was still abuzz, thinking over the day. As she walked, she began making a mental list of people to avoid the following day so as to avoid the most embarrassment. There were Fox and Samus, although she doubted the bounty huntress would give her trouble for what had happened (and for that matter, she doubted Fox would either). Then there was Zelda, and although Peach could normally trust her, in this particular instance, she wasn't so sure… Then, of course, there were Marth and Daisy. Daisy would, for sure, be the most difficult one to deal with. Luigi was also present on Peach's mental list, though she wasn't sure if he'd be problematic or not. On the one hand, he was a wonderful person and extremely trustworthy, but on the other hand… Oh, she didn't even want to _think_ about the other hand.

Peach came out of her thoughts, noticing with a start she'd walked almost the entire length of the mansion and reached the front door. ' _Perhaps some fresh air would do me some good,'_ she thought, reaching for the gold handle and opening the heavy mahogany door. Instantly, chilly fall air spilled into the front hall, and Peach shivered. Her robe was very thin, as were her pajamas. She wondered if it would have been smarter to change before taking her walk, but decided it was pointless to wonder. She was already here, and here was where she was going to stay.

The moon was the first thing she noticed upon stepping outside. It was huge, and the "Man on the Moon", as he was dubbed, was perfectly light being given completely illuminated the field on her left, and the woods to her right (which were maybe a mile away from the mansion itself).

"Isn't it nice?"

Peach almost had a heart attack, and she spun to face the man lying in the grass a few yards away from her. As soon as her eyes stopped on her companion's face, however, she was sure she actually _did_ have a heart attack.

"...Link?"

* * *

 _The sound of the billiard balls bouncing off one another was almost soothing to Peach. She didn't know why, but that sound was one of her favorites. Of course, she could barely hear it over the ridiculously loud chatter of the room's occupants, but that didn't really bother her at the moment._

" _...and can you believe it, my canon was clogged." Only the second half of Samus's sentence reached Peach, and she blinked, oblivious. The two were sitting on a large couch in the game room of the mansion, other friends of theirs doing various activities. Samus raised a blonde eyebrow, visible since she wasn't wearing her power suit, instead opting for a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. "You listening?"_

 _Peach nodded, hoping the bounty huntress would believe her. Samus looked skeptical, but continued. "Alright. So anyways, I lost the match because of it, and that space pilot has held it over my head since."_

" _You know I won that match fair and square," Fox called from his spot leaning against the pool table, "and you've just been using the 'clogged canon' excuse ever since to make me look bad."_

 _Samus scowled. Peach (and every other Smasher, for that matter) knew all about how much Samus and Fox hated the other one, but the princess hadn't really known why. Up until now, that is._

" _So," Peach started, addressing both Fox and Samus, "you two have this heated rivalry because of this match you just told me about?"_

 _Fox scoffed, turning to the table to watch Daisy finally make her shot, which failed. "Nah, it started waaaay before that match. In fact, that match was during the Melee Tournament, wasn't it?"_

 _Samus scowled, "You know full well it was in 64, you idiot. Don't play dumb."_

" _Why would I do that?" Fox queried, lining up his cue stick._

 _Samus began responding angrily to her rival, but Peach tuned them out. Her mind was more attracted to the idea of thinking of Link than listening to the two bicker. Thoughts of sky blue eyes. Thoughts of perfectly sculpted ears, soft, golden hair, and a smile that could kill it was so amazing. She thought of the time she first met Link, how he was so cordial and polite. The time she actually was lucky enough to be on a team with him and he took more than one hit for her (she knew he probably did it so they could win, and not because of some secret affection, but a lovesick girl_ will _dream about these things)._

 _The couch cushion sunk underneath someone else's weight, and Peach snapped out of her reverie, turning to watch Daisy settle in._

" _Fox is gonna take forever to take his turn," she groaned, glancing at the Smasher in question, who was currently entering a heated argument with Samus._

" _Maybe," Peach giggled, scooching a bit to give Daisy more room. "Where's Marth?"_

 _Daisy smiled, pointing across the room. "He and Luigi are playing cards. An intense game of 'Go Fish', apparently."_

 _Peach laughed aloud, knowing full well that a simple game of Go Fish could be_ very _intense if held between Smashers._

" _Oh, I envy you," the blonde said a minute or so after her laughing bout, "you and Marth have such a great relationship."_

 _Daisy's smile flickered, but only for a split second. Peach was sure she'd imagined it because it was so fast and nearly imperceptible. "We do, don't we?" The tomboyish princess said, leaning back on the couch. "You know, you and Mario could have the same thing, too, if you or him got enough courage to confess your feelings to the other."_

 _Peach felt her own smile falter, and she decided it was time to set her friend straight. "Daisy, I don't like Mario. At least, not in that way. We're just friends."_

 _At this Daisy snorted, "I don't believe that! Seriously, it's obvious you two like one another."_

 _Peach felt her teeth clench slightly, "I'm being serious, Daisy. He's my friend and nothing more."_

" _Why do you keep denying it?" Daisy said in a wondering tone, eyeing Peach strangely._

" _Because I'm trying to tell you the truth," Peach said simply. "I don't like Mario like that. I like someone el-" She felt her breath fly out of her lungs, realizing what she just said aloud._

 _Daisy's eyes instantly lit up, and she leaned forward. "Oooh, so it's someone else, huh? Who? You've gotta tell me!"_

" _No, I don't," Peach almost stuttered, "because you just heard wrong."_

 _The blonde's friend smirked, "I don't believe I did. Who is he? Who?"_

 _Peach really tried to ignore her. For the next half hour, the auburn haired princess followed her around like a lost puppy, trying to bug her into telling her. She even forfeited her billiard game with Fox just to devote all her energies to figuring out Peach's secret crush._

 _After 45 minutes, Peach felt herself cracking. The same people were still in the room, though Zelda had joined them and they were all doing different things. Samus and Fox had started their own game of pool, possibly the most aggressive game of pool anyone present had seen. Marth and Luigi had started playing Old Maid instead, and let Zelda join them. Daisy was still trailing after Peach._

" _Who_ is _he?" She asked for the millionth time. "I won't be able to sleep tonight unless I know!"_

 _Peach's left eye twitched. If Daisy asked one more time, she might-_

" _Pleeease? Who is h-"_

" _IT'S LINK, OKAY?! I LIKE LINK, NOT MARIO! NOW WOULD YOU STOP BOTHERING ME?!" Peach wasn't really planning on spinning on her best friend while screaming her secret crush's name at the top of her lungs: it just kind of happened. As soon as she yelled the words, however, her hand flew to her mouth._

 _Daisy seemed to be at a loss for words, and for possibly the first time in their long friendship, Peach heard her stutter. "I- P-Peach…"_

 _Everyone's eyes were on her, and she knew it. Without a second thought, she turned and ran out of the game room, ignoring half-hearted protests from Fox to try and get her to stay. Her eyes were already filling with tears, and she just had to hide before she burst into uncontrollable sobs._

'What have I done?'

* * *

"That's my name," Link laughed in response to Peach's reaction to seeing him there. "If you don't mind my asking, why are you up so late?"

Peach watched as the Hylian sat up, looking back at her expectantly. She couldn't tell him exactly _why_ she was still awake, as that would require telling him that she liked him, and that just wouldn't do. So she decided to turn the question back around to him.

"Why are _you_ still up?" Peach said, pulling her robe closer to herself.

Link smiled, looking up at the sky. "Because I love the moon. When I saw it was so big tonight, I couldn't resist coming out and watching it for awhile."

"It is very pretty tonight," the princess admitted, glancing up at the glowing orb hanging in the sky. When her eyes went back down to Link, he was patting the ground next to him.

"You can join me, if you'd like. Company is always appreciated."

Peach felt like her heart jumped straight out of her chest, traveled halfway round the world, and slammed back into place. He was asking her to sit with him. _Link_ was asking _her_ to keep _him_ company. She couldn't speak, and was sure her facial expression was completely ridiculous looking. Link was still waiting, though his own facial expression began to reveal he was wondering what was taking her so long. Finally, she choked the words out.

"I- I'm not sure I can," she said, mind screaming at her mouth to stop. But now that it was going, it just kept running against her wishes. "I mean, it's kind of cold out." She shook her robe a bit at these words, further explaining with the small action. "I was only coming out here for a minute because of insomnia. But thank you for the offer." ' _What are you doing, you idiot - he just asked you to keep him company and you turned him_ down _? AREN'T YOU TRYING TO DEVELOP A DANG RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, HERE?!'_

"I understand," Link nodded, smile looking a tad disappointed. ' _Now look what you did, you made him sad you monster-'_ "I come out here most nights the moon is visible, however, so you can join me whenever you'd like. The offer stands," he smiled, lying back down on the downy grass.

Peach blinked once. Twice. Slowly she nodded, before she realized he wasn't looking at her anymore and she choked out a measly "okay". Then she turned around slowly, walking back inside.

' _He said I can join him whenever. He said I can join him whenever.'_ The thought was like a mantra, repeating itself the entire walk back to her room.

Peach stepped into the room, half her mind trying to tell her to be quiet while the other half couldn't care less. She took off her robe slowly, and her slippers followed. Once she was safely back in bed, her mind seemed to snap out of it.

' _Keep it together, Peach… I can't believe I just turned him down out there! What is_ wrong _with me?'_ She thought of Link's sad expression, and his offer, and everything that happened during the day.

It took her hours longer to get to sleep, and when she did, there was a small smile on her face and a new thought in her head - ' _Maybe I have a chance.'_

* * *

 **Author's Note: So. The first sight of pairings! Peach likes Link, and Marth and Daisy are dating! Also, random rivalry between Fox and Samus, lol. Don't worry, I plan on including much fluff/drama/angst/romance/humor in this fic. I love those genres, sooo... Yeah. Don't think everything is gonna solve itself for our lovely characters - they'll have to fight for their happy endings ;) Thanks for reading, and reviews/favorites/follows are always appreciated. And if you have any constructive criticism for me, I'll take it gladly.**

 **See you next chapter, if you'll join me! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I am so so so sorry for the wait for this chapter. You see, I've had this chapter done for quite some time, actually (it was actually about 98% done when I posted the first chapter), but my computer completely screwed up before I could post this. Seriously, it was ridiculously slow and wouldn't even connect to the internet. I had to wait to use it this entire time, and I just want to apologize. I was really planning on posting this about two weeks ago, but couldn't.**

 **And now I wanna give a BIG thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed this story. It means SO much to me (hence all the caps-locks, haha!), and I really wanted to say thank you in the beginning of this chapter. I didn't think anybody was even going to be interested in this story, because of the odd pairings (Link/Peach, Marth/Daisy), but you all proved me wrong ^_^**

 **Also, IMPORTANT NOTE here! In this fic, male Robin will be referred to as Reflet (which is the name for the character in Japan). I'm not sure if female Robin will make an appearance, but if she does, she will be called "Robin". Another note, I'm not sure if either Corrin will make an appearance, but if they do, the male Corrin will be called "Kamui" (again, the name for the character in Japan) and the female Corrin will remain "Corrin". Yet ANOTHER note, Zelda and Sheik are separate people, and Sheik will be female in this story (though I don't mind making the character male occasionally). And also, Dr. Mario and Mario are separate. I dunno why, really. Just because :)**

* * *

The Prince of Altea had never been one for interfering in other people's matters without their consent. It seemed like no matter how you went about something like that with even the best intentions, it would all go wrong. So, of course, he wasn't even remotely planning on inserting himself into Peach's problems: the blonde hadn't asked for help, and he hadn't even seen her since the previous day, when she revealed her affections for a certain Hylian. But just because _he_ was trying to stay out of it didn't mean his girlfriend was.

"We have to help them!" Daisy said, pacing back and forth in his room. Marth raised an eyebrow, watching her go back and forth and feeling particularly lucky his roommate wasn't present.

"How?" He asked, leaning against the wall right next to his bed. "And also, are you planning on wearing a rut in the floor, or…?"

Daisy's hands went to her hips, but still she paced, casting occasional glances at the prince. "I am _not_ wearing a rut in the floor, thank you very much! I'm trying to figure out the best way to get them together - preferably as fast as possible."

Marth sighed, "Maybe you should just let it be. If you interfere, you could make things worse rather than better."

"I wouldn't be interfering," Daisy said, finally stopping her pacing to fiddle with something on Marth's roommate's desk, "just lending a helping hand. They'd be forever grateful!"

' _If you even managed to actually get them together,'_ Marth thought, feeling slightly exasperated. He watched Daisy pick something up off the desk, and instantly recognized it.

"Be careful with that," the prince said, walking over to her, "Ike would kill me if that was lost."

Daisy frowned, looking at the object more intently than she was before. It was a simple little doll, a girl with stringy orange hair.

"What is it?" She asked, putting it back down gently.

"It was his sister's," Marth explained, "though usually he keeps it somewhere out of sight. I have no idea why it's out now."

After a moment of silence Daisy shrugged, turning her body away from the desk and facing Marth. Before she could even say a word, genius struck. Marth watched her face light up in excitement, and his stomach did a flip.

"Daisy… You better not be thinking-" He started, but the princess interrupted him, like his words didn't even reach her.

"I've got it!" Daisy proclaimed, grabbing Marth on the shoulders, "By golly, I've got it!"

"...I'm not even gonna ask where 'by golly' came from."

"I know _exactly_ how to get them together!" She squealed, violently hugging Marth.

"Daisy," he started again, hoping she'd listen, "think for a second. Do you think Link and Peach would appreciate you interfering in something that should only involve them, unless they ask for help?"

"Hey," the princess pulled back a bit, a mischievous look on her face, "who said it's just gonna be me interfering?"

It took a moment for the implications of her words to properly sink in, and Marth's eyes widened the slightest. "Oh, no. You are _not_ dragging me into this."

* * *

"I can't believe you dragged me into this," Marth groaned, burying his face in his hands.

Daisy didn't even bother looking back at him, eyes firmly embedded in her binoculars. She would get Peach and Link together if it was the last thing she ever did.

"Well," she said, peering through the device at one of her first targets, "I need someone helping me, and who better than you?"

"I don't know, maybe _anyone else_?" The prince mumbled, not moving from his sulking position. The two royals were in the gym of the mansion, hiding behind a large weight lifting machine specifically designed for larger Smashers, such as Bowser. Daisy was on her knees, using a pair of binoculars she'd swiped from Falco to spy on people (she didn't _really_ need them, but she thought they made her look cooler) and enact Phase 1 of her plan. Marth was just sitting on the floor behind her, debating whether or not he should make a run for it.

Daisy started feeling a bit annoyed at the man behind her. Honestly, she was just asking for a bit of help! And she didn't usually ask for much… Except for that time she asked Marth to help her build a treehouse in the woods, or that other time when she made him help her sew a new dress, or when she lost her parasol on a windy day and made the prince climb on top of the mansion's roof to fetch it-

' _Okay,'_ Daisy groaned mentally, ' _maybe I do ask for a bit more than I thought. And it's not like any of those instances actually went_ well _..._ _But still, this isn't even that big of a deal! Although, I don't even really_ _need him until Phase 3...'_

"Alright, Loverboy," she groaned, turning back to Marth and lowering her binoculars, "you can go."

Immediately Marth's head shot up, a hopeful smile on his face. "Really?"

She nodded, and watched humoredly as he jumped up and ran out of the gym like a lightning bolt. ' _Good thing Sonic didn't see that,'_ she thought, resuming her spying, ' _wouldn't want him to know he's got competition.'_

Luckily, the man she spied on didn't see or hear Marth speed out of the room, or he just didn't care, as he just kept doing his workout. Before today, Daisy didn't realize how long Link worked out (or even that he did at _all_ ), but that was the entire point of Phase 1: learn Link's day to day schedule and put that knowledge to good use later. Of course, Link and Daisy weren't the only ones in the gym, as there were so many Smashers there was a very good chance you could always find one or two lingering about in the various, more popular rooms of the mansion. But Daisy was the only one or her side of the gym - at least, that was what she thought until a hand tapped her shoulder.

" _Cheese and crackers!_ " The auburn haired princess exclaimed, spinning and pulling the binoculars away from her eyes.

The man who'd tapped her, Ike, crossed his arms over his chest while raising a single eyebrow. "Why are you peering at Link through a pair of binoculars?"

Daisy took a moment to recover from her scare before turning her nose up a bit, spinning away from the large mercenary. "None of your business, Mister Nosy."

Ike laughed, "'Mister Nosy'? Says the lady hiding behind a weight lifting machine and spying on a man as he works out."

Daisy hated to admit it, but he wasn't being unreasonable. "Point taken. But don't just sneak up like that on me again!"

Ike nodded, sitting down on the machine. "Fine. But, and I feel the need to ask this again, why on _earth_ are you spying on Link?"

Daisy had a small mental debate with herself. If she told Ike what she was doing, and Peach found out, there would probably some severe repercussions. Then again, there would probably be severe repercussions even if Peach just figured out what she was doing, Ike knowing about her secret crush or not.

"I'm trying to figure out his daily routine," she finally said, adjusting the binoculars lens.

"...Why?"

She sighed impatiently, as if dealing with an annoying toddler who wanted to know what everything was (even though he'd only asked two questions). "Because, it's Phase 1 in my plan to get him and Peach together."

"As a couple?"

"Yes, as a couple!" She almost yelled, rounding on him. "What did you think I meant, together as in just in the same room?"

Ike shrugged, "You could've meant that. Can't blame a guy for checking."

Daisy growled under her breath, turning back to watch Link begin doing sit ups.

"But why do you want them together?"

"Because, _Ike,_ " she hissed his name, "Peach has had a secret crush on him for who knows how long."

"Really? Well, she's pretty good at hiding her feelings, then. I didn't even have a clue."

' _That could probably be more attributed to your idiocy rather than Peach's adeptness at hiding feelings,'_ Daisy thought viciously, wondering idly in the back of her mind how long Link was going to continue working out.

"You want help?"

Daisy's brow furrowed, wondering if she'd heard the mercenary right. She slowly pulled the binoculars away from her face for what seemed like the fiftieth time in five minutes, eyeing Ike strangely. "You want to help me?"

"Why not?" Ike said, sliding off the weight machine and kneeling beside her. "I've got nothing better to do today, and besides, Link's probably my best friend here. If this helps him out, then why not?"

Daisy felt her heart start beating ever so erratically. ' _He wants to help me? Doesn't he remember what happened last time? I'm not sure about this… Though, he really is one of Link's best friends here. He probably knows enough information to make him helpful; perhaps even more so than Mar- No. Don't even think that.'_ The princess took another moment before slowly nodding. "Sure. Okay. First question - how long does Link work out?"

"Most of the time, about 50 minutes to an hour," Ike said, settling into place behind the machine. "Now, a question for you. Why 'cheese and crackers'?"

"What, you prefer a different interjection?"

Ike chuckled, and Daisy felt a small smile growing on her face. ' _See? He doesn't seem to be bothered by what happened- You shouldn't be either.'_ And though her mind could be very persuasive at times, at that moment, Daisy knew she wasn't convinced.

* * *

If Peach hadn't woken up at the crack of dawn, odds were she'd have been caught by Daisy and pestered to no end about her confession from the previous day. Luckily, her unconscious mind seemed to understand that and had woke her up before her roommate did. Realizing she should probably escape before Daisy awoke, it became a matter of where to hide out for the entire day so as to avoid certain uncomfortable questions. The princess had quickly decided on the woods, since they weren't even in the mansion and were more likely to keep her hidden longer. Her major concern was actually food and water, but a person could last a day without those things, right?

Peach's stomach growled as she thought of food, right on cue, it seemed. The blonde grimaced, but decided to ignore it. She was lying on a patch of grass, staring up at the canopy of leaves overhead that was already a variety of colors - oranges and browns, reds and yellow, and the occasional green scattered within. Only a few had fallen thus far, however, meaning the trees still blocked out a decent amount of sunlight.

A gentle breeze rippled through the area, playing with loose strands of golden hair, and Peach reached up to brush stray pieces out of her eyes. Her mind was mostly empty at the moment, a nice change from the previous night. All she wanted to do right then was lay there and forget her problems, her mistakes.

"Excuse me, Princess Peach?"

The voice, for some reason, didn't scare her though she wasn't expecting it. Perhaps a perk of having a calm mind? She slowly sat up, however, wanting to look somewhat dignified for her visitor (which was more difficult than it normally would have been, seeing as how she was wearing a sweater and jeans instead of her normal dress). The man standing a few feet away was someone she didn't recognize, which kicked her princess ticks into overdrive.

"My apologies," she said, standing swiftly, "if I'd have known I had company, I would have prepared. As it is, I'm afraid I'm quite casually clad."

The man smiled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head and ruffling silver locks of hair. Peach had a vague memory of the man being introduced at the newcomer's ceremony, but couldn't for the life of her remember his name.

"It's fine," Mystery Man said, "you don't have to be formal with me if you don't want. But, of course, if you do-"

"I'll be fine either way," she said as a reassurance, smiling at the man. "You don't need to worry, but thank you for doing so, anyway."

The man grinned, before he seemed to realize something and his skin went slightly more pale than it already was. "Oh, I'm sorry! You must think I'm some sort of stalker, knowing your name like that..."

"I was a bit curious," Peach found herself letting out a small laugh, "but it's fine. The way to solve this simply is for you to introduce yourself, don't you think?"

Mystery Man nodded, face looking sheepish, "Yeah, I probably should." He took a few steps forward, and Peach extended her hand which he gladly took. "My name is Reflet, your Highness," he said, and suddenly it clicked in Peach's mind. ' _I remember him now,'_ Peach thought, watching him do a small bow.

"Oh," she said, gently pulling him upwards, "you don't need to do that! Here at Smash Mansion, we're all equals. No formalities needed!"

Reflet blushed just a tad, before nodding, "Of course, Pri-" he hesitated a moment, "What would you like me to call you?"

"Peach is fine," the princess smiled, the pair's hands retracting. "So, what brings you to Smash Woods?"

Reflet breathed an almost imperceptible sigh of relief, looking a tad more comfortable when she started a normal sounding conversation. "Well, I like the outdoors quite a bit, and I thought I should train for the tournament, so I decided to do it here."

"Really?" Peach smiled, "Sounds like fun. Is anyone else with you, or…?"

"Just me," Reflet said, "unless you'd like to join me, that is."

"Why not? This seems like a good time to do some training."

Reflet nodded, "Alright. What's your fighting style?"

Peach chuckled, "I usually use various weapons along with my feet and hands- it's actually a difficult thing to explain. While I don't have any weapons on me currently, I could show you other attacks I have."

Reflet nodded his consent, and for the next half hour, the two showed off what attacks they could and began training in their own way. A comfortable silence covered them for awhile, before Reflet spoke up again.

"Pri- Peach," he corrected himself, swinging around his bronze sword almost casually, "if you don't mind my asking, why were you out here in the woods originally? I came here to train, but I wasn't sure what you were doing."

Peach bit her lip, purposely not looking directly at the man. One part of her was against saying anything to Reflet, but another, stranger part was causing her to think ' _What could go wrong? If I don't say Link's name specifically, all he knows is I revealed I had a secret crush to almost ten people while yelling at my best friend… Hm, maybe something_ could _go wrong.'_

Nevertheless, the princess began her tale, feeling strangely comfortable telling Reflet everything that had happened (minus Link's name and the meeting she'd had with him in the moonlight).

"Ah," Reflet said, sitting on the grass with his back against a tree (the position he'd taken during her long tale), "so you're trying to avoid those people, then."

Peach nodded, standing with her back to another tree. "Exactly. I just know they'd ask questions I don't feel like answering."

"Well," he began, cheeks gaining a slight pink color, "since you've been so trusting to tell me all of this, I feel like I can confide in you as well. I actually sympathize with you, though my problems have not reached the same level as yours. You see, there's this girl who's living here at the mansion, and ever since I arrived here, she's been extremely kind to me. I'm not exactly sure why, but my emotions have decided it would be a fantastic idea to develop feelings for her, and I can't seem to get her out of my head. I'm not even sure how to approach her."

Peach found herself smiling, not at his fate, but at the fact he was confiding in her. "Well, I'm sure I can't give you advice, as I've been in your situation for years now and still haven't discovered a solution, but I wish you luck."

Reflet smiled back, "Likewise."

There was a comfortable silence for a few minutes, before Reflet stood. "Well, I should probably go back, now."

Peach stepped forward, "I should as well. I can't hide forever, I suppose. Would you mind terribly if I went with you?"

Reflet shook his head, grinning, "Not at all."

Peach found herself feeling much more happy and at ease than she'd been all morning, and the two new friends began the short walk back to the mansion.

* * *

' _Tread like there are a thousand eggshells under your feet, and if one breaks they_ all _do. And remember, these eggshells aren't representative of actual eggshells, they're your friends, so one wrong move and you hurt every single person you've ever loved.'_ Sure, it was a lot of pressure to put on herself, but she couldn't seem stop her mind from practically making it seem like the end of the world if she failed.

"Zelda?" Link's brow furrowed. "Are you okay? You don't look so well…"

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you Link," Zelda smiled, and mentally cursed her lips for grinning so widely. She was sure she was creeping her fellow Hylian out.

Link didn't look nearly convinced, and he eyed her strangely. "Are you sure? Because really, I don't mind taking you to see Dr. Mario if you need to see him. Peach might be there to help too-"

"No!" Zelda practically screeched the word, grabbing Link's arm and staring him right in the eye. Link looked terrified, and slowly the princess pulled her hand away. "I'm fine," she said, still smiling, "thank you, Link. I appreciate the thought."

Link nodded, slowly, before turning around and walking quickly as possible down the hall, casting what looked like petrified glances back at the princess.

Zelda waited until he was out of earshot to breath a shaky sigh of relief. She was absolutely horrible at acting casual around one of her best friends when she had the simple knowledge of one of her _other_ friends having a pretty major crush on him. Secrets were difficult for her to handle at times, so when she ran into Link in the halls of the mansion, her brain practically froze with panic. Luckily, she handled it well enough that Link couldn't _possibly_ be onto what was going on! ...Hopefully.

Shaking her head clear of thoughts, Zelda continued on her walk, heading towards her and Samus's room. Lunch was going to be held soon, and before she went towards the cafeteria she wanted to pick up that book she was in the middle of - _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland._ It was an interesting read, and she wanted to continue it while eating if there was no stimulating conversation to participate in.

A few minutes later, she was standing in the decently sized room, rummaging through her dresser drawers. While most thought a princess would be extremely good at organization, especially the one who possessed the Triforce of Wisdom, Zelda was horrid at it when it came to her books. They were always getting scattered in random places: such as her dresser drawers.

"Where is it…?" Zelda mumbled under her breath, digging through mounds of fabric hurriedly. Time was ticking away quickly, and lunch would be soon.

"What'cha lookin' for?" A small, exasperated grumble came from the bed on the opposite side of the room, the blanket heap rustling as the body underneath readjusted.

"My book," Zelda responded to Samus, moving on to the next drawer, "I just read it last night, and now I can't seem to find it."

The bounty huntress groaned something incoherent, and Zelda shook her head.

"You know," the princess said, "you really should stop taking these midday naps. Honestly, one would think you didn't sleep half the night!"

The blankets moved again, and Samus's head popped up, blonde hair a mess of tangles and random strands popping up in odd places. "I sleep at night," she said, licking her chapped lips, "I just like to sleep some more during the daytime."

Zelda rolled her eyes, smiling goodnaturedly. Her friend was completely ridiculous sometimes.

"...Hey," Samus said, and Zelda's ears perked up while she continued digging through clothes, "that book you're looking for? It wouldn't happen to be _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ , would it?"

"That's it," Zelda nodded, closing the drawer a bit harder than she intended when her search was proved fruitless.

"Well, I found it."

In less than a second, Zelda was across the room snatching the novel from Samus's hands, cradling it like a small child. Samus scowled, crossing her arms. "You could say 'thank you', you know."

The Hylian nodded, looking up to her friend. "Of course! Thank you so much! I-"

The clock struck one, and Zelda's hands went clammy.

"Oh no!" She exclaimed, grabbing Samus's hand and dragging her out of bed (ignoring the angry protests the bounty huntress was uttering). "We're going to be late for lunch!"

Samus rolled her eyes, but let Zelda drag her from the room into the halls. "You ever think I might _not_ be hungry?"

"You're still attending," Zelda said simply, running down the corridor, still grasping the blonde's hand, "I want company. Also, out of curiosity, where exactly did you find my book?"

"Underneath my pillow," Samus groaned. "You really need to find better places for these things."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well, that's that! Thanks again for reading, and as a side note, I do not own the rights to "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"; I just needed a book here and couldn't think of another to use (though I DO own a copy of it).**

 **Constructive criticism is always welcomed ^_^**


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